Ah, but when the nights are long and the temperatures are high and the chances of unbroken, unsweaty sleep are low, and when even the whirr of your portable fan has become nothing but an incessant drone, the cure mentioned above by the American humourist W.C. Fields can seem like something you can only dream about. Or not, as the case may be.

So to try and ensure you get the most sleep you can, and in order to get a better night's sleep, you need to reframe your slumber as not just something that happens to you as you lie in bed.

Instead, it's an activity in itself, something you're trying to achieve and which takes a bit of preparation and effort to get right.

No caffeine after 4pm

It starts at 4pm, after which time you should avoid caffeine entirely. No tea, no coffee, and yes, sadly this also means no chocolate (either milk or dark). For a sweet treat later in the day, bananas are known for their sleep-inducing properties, with sleep expert Christine Hansen even suggesting snipping their ends off and boiling them with cumin and fennel seeds. Allow the liquid to cool a little before sipping slowly, an elixir that will promote a deep and happy sleep.

Duvet tog count

Perhaps a more palatable approach is to heatproof your bedding. Think about your tog count - the measure of thermal resistance which is used to talk about the thickness of duvets. The tog scale now goes down as low as one tog (13.5 being the highest), meaning a light covering as fine and thin as gossamer, enough to make you feel cocooned but not overly cosseted.

And it's not just what you lay under that matters. Once you've chosen your favoured low tog count duvet, as above, then it's time to consider what sheet your sleeping on. Cotton is lauded for its breathability, and wool it's temperature control. Try opting for one of our 100% Cotton Anti Allergy bed sheets, or purchase the 100% Cotton Anti Allergy Bed Set, which will help induce a cool sleep with added benefits of its anti-allergy finish - helpful for those with respiratory issues.

Pillows play their part, too, and are more than just there to turn over and over, as you look for their cool side. Temperature-regulating pillows are filled with moisture-wicking fibres which help to control and maintain your temperature at night.

Finally, try and make sure the day behind you is done and dusted, with the day ahead fully prepared for, leaving your mind free from worry about either. This can be done symbolically - making sure the dishwasher is loaded and the dinner plates cleared away, or that tomorrow's bag is filled with what you need and zipped up, ready to go. For getting a good night's sleep is much about clearing your mind as it is remaining cool - the two go hand in hand.